Maturing prospects, solid veterans take IronPigs on record-setting run

APRIL BARTHOLOMEW FILE PHOTO/THE MORNING CALL

Nick Williams (left), Tom Eshelman and Cam Perkins are among the the Lehigh Valley IronPigs players who have contributed to the team’s success so far this season.

Nick Williams (left), Tom Eshelman and Cam Perkins are among the the Lehigh Valley IronPigs players who have contributed to the team’s success so far this season. (APRIL BARTHOLOMEW FILE PHOTO/THE MORNING CALL)

Nick Williams found himself in three two-strike counts during a June 17 game against Syracuse.

The Lehigh Valley outfielder struck out the first time, then hit a 414-foot home run two innings later before earning a walk in his final at-bat.

Despite averaging a strikeout every 3.18 at-bats, watching Williams' approach with two strikes this season is better than a year ago.

"He's not giving at-bats away," IronPigs manager Dusty Wathan said. "I've talked to others who saw him last year, a night like [one earlier this month] would have been a disaster, an 0-for-4 with four punchouts."

That maturation also can been seen in Williams' teammates, several of whom are at Triple-A for the first time.

After starting the 2017 season at 14-13, the IronPigs have grown into the International League's best team with one of the top records in the minor leagues thanks to prospects, including Williams and Rhys Hoskins, plus veterans Pedro Florimon, Pedro Beato and Pat Venditte, among others.

"That's [Williams] maturing as a hitter," Wathan added. "It's him not saying he's done after two rough at-bats and blaming the umpire, the sun, the whatever you want to make excuses for.

"The young kids make excuses for everything. Once they mature and learn that it doesn't do any good to make excuses and they have to do something, that's where they are at now."

Dylan Cozens is another one of the Phillies prospects who has benefited from experience. He batted .118 with three home runs and 33 strikeouts in his first 20 games. Since then, the slugging outfielder is slashing .289/.357/.568.

Roman Quinn had a 13-game stretch in April when he batted .163 with 17 strikeouts, then hit .302 leading up to an elbow injury that shut him down on May 28.

Jorge Alfaro's season is working in reverse. He hit .351 with three homers and 13 RBIs in his first 19 Triple-A games, then batted .220 with two homers in the next 38 contests.

Despite the inconsistency of many of the organization's top prospects, injuries and the shuffling of several pitchers between Triple-A and the Phillies, the IronPigs are on a record-setting pace.

They set franchise marks for wins in a month (24 in May), longest winning streak (12), longest home winning streak (10) and victories at the season's midpoint (47 through 71 games).

Wathan's bunch is on pace to set records for wins and home runs in a season, among others. Hoskins (HRs, RBIs), Beato (saves) and Tom Eshelman (ERA) can break marks with steady second halves.

The IronPigs won games in a lot of ways, but their resilience is most impressive. They've won 20 games after the opponent scored first, nine when trailing after five innings and seven when trailing in the seventh or later.

Here's a midseason report card:

STARTING PITCHING

Despite losing Ben Lively and Nick Pivetta to the Phillies for the foreseeable future, Ricardo Pinto being shifted to the bullpen and Jake Thompson and Mark Appel enduring rocky stretches, the rotation has held its own. The IronPigs are tied for the IL lead in complete games and first in shutouts (10). The staff is first in fewest home runs allowed. Eshelman has been a stud (5-1, 1.68 ERA). Cesar Ramos and Mark Leiter were thrust back into the rotation after breaking spring training as relievers.

Grade: B

RELIEF PITCHING

Beato leads the IL with 22 saves in 24 chances. Venditte and Hoby Milner, who was called up to the Phillies on Tuesday, started the year with lengthy scoreless streaks. After a slow start, Michael Mariot and his rediscovered curveball were solid. Jesen Therrien dominated at Double-A Reading early in 2017, before holding his own in his first Triple-A stint. Pinto has not allowed an earned run since being moved from the rotation to the bullpen.

Grade: A

DEFENSE

The IronPigs allowed 36 unearned runs, fourth-most in the league, and committed 54 errors (seventh most; .978 fielding percentage). J.P. Crawford leads the club 10 errors, but that's not surprising for a shortstop. Hector Gomez has seven. The infield has made many stellar plays and the outfield has 15 assists. There also have been mental mistakes (throwing to the wrong base, missing the cutoff man, improper positioning, etc.).

Grade: B-

OFFENSE

Lehigh Valley is second in runs scored, home runs, triples, OPS and slugging percentage; and third in batting average. Middle-of-the-order men Hoskins, Cozens and Williams had long hot streaks. All three are among the league leaders in homers and RBIs. Hoskins also is in the top five in average, runs, doubles, slugging, on-base percentage and walks. Cam Perkins was really solid, particularly from the leadoff spot, before his call-up Tuesday. Florimon had the best stretch of his 13-year career.Crawford has struggled for most of 2017. Alfaro cooled after a hot start.

Grade: B+

COACHING

The resumes of Wathan, hitting coach Sal Rende and pitching coach Dave Lundquist are self-explanatory. They are proven winners and developers of talented youngsters who want their help. The improvements made by Lively, Pivetta, Pinto and Appel, among others, speak volumes about Lundquist. His honest, direct, low-key approach works. Same for Rende. Wathan's no-nonsense style speaks to the current pro baseball player. He also finds ways to connect to the players outside of baseball. Bottom line is that all three are respected. That is invaluable.

Grade: A

INTANGIBLES

What often makes or breaks a Triple-A team is the attitude and personality of the veterans. The crop of IronPigs (Beato, Venditte, Florimon, Gomez, Ramos and Mariot) has been stellar. Beato serves as the team barber, but it's his work ethic — and that of the others — that provides the prospects with a road map. It's their choice to follow it or not.